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Egypt offers the biggest indoor snow park destination in Africa. Egypt looks to medicine as an avenue to boost tourism. Egypt Increases Fees for Tourist Visas by More than 100%
Tourists who want to visit the country of Pharaohs will now pay $60 instead of $25.

Entering Egypt will now cost tourists $60, more than double the current price of an entry visa to the country of Pharaohs, set at $25. The increase will be applicable starting March 1st, Al Ahram Online reported. According to tourism operators, the raise will bring about negative effects to an already ailing industry, which has been experiencing an all-time low since the 2011 revolt.

Operators say that the decision will cause problems for tourists who booked trips based on the old rate, and that the measure should have been announced several months beforehand.
AccorHotels inks four hotel projects in Egypt. Leading hospitality group AccorHotels has signed four new hotel management agreements in Egypt with Arco, one of the foremost developers in high quality mixed-use real estate developments and integrated communities.

The new developments on Egypt’s North Coast, slated to open by 2022, include the Fairmont Fuka Bay, Swissôtel Fuka Bay, Novotel Al Alamein City, and ibis Styles Al Alamein City. The addition of these hotel projects increases AccorHotels’ operational and development pipeline to 31 hotels in Egypt. Francois Baudin, senior vice president, Development, Luxury Hotels, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, AccorHotels, said: “Following the recent union of AccorHotels and FRHI, we are excited to announce four new hotel projects in Egypt, ranging from economy and midscale options to luxury and upper upscale brands.” The 300-room and 200-branded residences of Swissôtel Fuka Bay will also represent one of the city’s first international hospitality brands.
GCR - - Egypt’s Grand Museum on track for partial opening in 2017. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is one of the most important, ambitious and challenging museum projects ever undertaken.

Egyptian tourism to recover pre-2011 levels by early 2017: WTTC official. The chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), David Scowsill, has praised the security measures applied at Egyptian airports in the past year, saying that tourism will return to pre-2011 levels by early 2017, according to Al-Watan newspaper.

"The security measures at Egyptian airports have become highly developed, surpassing measures imposed in some developed countries," Scowsill said, according the newspaper on Wednesday. Scowsill made the comments on Tuesday during the fifth Global Summit on City Tourism, which is being held in Luxor. "Egyptian tourism will recover starting next year, and it will return rapidly to its pre-2011 levels," Scowsill said. Scowsill said he would reassure UK travel agencies regarding the security measures he witnessed at Cairo Airport, adding that he plans to visit Sharm el-Sheikh to encourage the resumption of flights soon. Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anany was also present at the summit in Luxor.
Egypt launches mass clean-up of Great Pyramids of Giza. Egypt Hires Private Companies to Manage Pyramids Complex. Egypt Hires Private Companies to Manage Pyramids Complex Egypt’s government is set to hire a number of private companies to manage the Pyramids complex in Giza, reported MENA.

The companies will be in charge of cleaning and securing the complex that houses the world’s only remaining Ancient World Wonder, the Sphinx, and other ancient Egyptian sites. According to MENA, Egypt’s government has already contracted a private company for EGP 5 million a year to provide cleaning services and maintain cleanliness. Another company was contracted to provide security and a third is yet to be contracted for general management. This latest development comes less than a month after Egypt announced plans to renovate the ailing Pyramids complex.
Egypt: German Court Rules Returning Ancient Bowl to Egypt. Egypt to Build an Underwater Museum. The Lighthouse of Pharos has been at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea for centuries, but soon tourists might be able to see it when they visit Egypt—no diving equipment required.

The Egyptian ministry of antiquities recently announced plans to build an underwater museum in the harbor off of Alexandria’s shore. It would be the first museum of its kind (although others are considering similar moves) and would give visitors a chance to see some of the ancient treasures, like Cleopatra’s Palace, that have been under feet of water for ages. The museum was initially envisioned 19 years ago, but economic turmoil and political unrest derailed the plans.
There's confidence in Cairo as tourism rebuilds. CAIRO — For the first time in three years, there is hope.

Some political observers and many Egyptians in travel and tourism are optimistic that the calm following the election of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in May will inspire visitors to return to the country in large numbers, following a 35% drop in arrivals since 2010. “For the first time, people are trusting their leader, and for the first time he is giving hope to the people.” That was the message delivered by Mona Makram-Ebeid, a political science and sociology lecturer at the American University of Cairo, to a group of 65 U.S. travelers during a welcome dinner at the Mena House Hotel in Giza last week for an Abercrombie & Kent President’s Journey to Egypt itinerary. Makram-Ebeid pointed to activities during el-Sissi’s first 100 days that she believes reflect confidence in the new leadership. As an example, she said that when el-Sissi cut government subsidies as part of larger austerity measures, the backlash was manageable.

Egypt tourism could fully recover in 2015, minister says. CAIRO: Egypt’s tourism industry, battered by three years of political upheaval, violence and street protests, could fully recover by the end of next year if regional turmoil does not spread to the Arab world’s biggest country, the tourism minister said.

While Egypt is by no means wholly stable, Hisham Zaazou said in an interview with Reuters late on Sunday that he hoped tourist numbers would rise by up to 10 per cent this year, and recover to pre-uprising levels of 14.7 million visitors in 2015. “If the relative stability that exists now continues I imagine there will be a [full] recovery,” Zaazou said. Sea resorts and ancient sites are the backbone of the Egyptian tourism industry — a pillar of the whole economy — and have mostly escaped attack by militants, but Zaazou said he would also promote desert safaris, trekking and spa tourism. “A prerequisite is stability and this is happening,” he said. More than 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2010, dropping to 9.8 million in 2011.
Ministry of Tourism signs cooperation protocol with Visa. By Abdel Razek Al-Shuwekhi.

Egypt: We want our tourists back. Fmglr. $2.5 bn lost income for Egyptian tourism since 2011 - Economy - Business. $2.5 bn lost income for Egyptian tourism since 2011 The tourism ministry is preparing a new campaign to promote Egypt by live-streaming images of the country around the world Ahram Online, Thursday 21 Feb 2013 Tourists take pictures at the Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo (Photo: Reuters) Egypt’s tourism sector incurred losses in expected income of around $2.5 billion since the revolution started in January 2011, state-run daily newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Thursday, citing the minister of tourism.

About 11.5 million tourists visited the country in 2012 and generated some $10 billion in revenues. In 2010, around 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt, generating $12.5 billion in revenues, official data showed.